A widow does not plan to lead an independent life. She doesn’t plan to lose her spouse; she plans to live happily ever after, forever. So when the unexpected happens, how is she going to learn to live independently, especially while grieving? The death of a spouse diminishes a person’s ability to think clearly. Widows,

Discover, Explore and Make the Highest Impact You Can With What You Have To Share When you lose a spouse, it often comes with money attached, which can create additional emotional complications along with the financial ones. Combine that with the normal stresses associated with going through the holidays alone and you may find yourself

Social Security can be a tough knot for anyone to untangle and the decisions become even more complicated for a widow. Here’s a short primer that ever widow should know before applying for benefits. When do you become eligible for survivor benefits? You are entitled to 100% of your deceased spouse’s benefit at full retirement

With all the news about Obamacare, you may be wondering how to best provide your family with health insurance now that you’ve lost your spouse. If you were covered under your spouse’s health insurance at work and the company had 20 or more employees, you are eligible for continuation of similar coverage for 36 months

THE LAW OFFICE OF JENNIFER J. MICKELSON, PC, HONORS NATIONAL WIDOWS DAY DURING THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MAY Lee’s Summit attorney Jennifer J. Mickelson, who became a widow at the age of 36, continues her mission to educate others about early estate planning with 50% off all estate planning services for

My friend and CPA, Carre, has a sign on her door that reads: “Keep Calm and Carry On.” It helped to put my tax bill into perspective (and also made me chuckle) and it seemed like an appropriate reminder for any woman who is in the midst of the grief and confusion created from the

My friend Sheila just found out that her husband is suffering from a fatal heart disease. Sheila was widowed previously, about twelve years ago, and I wonder what it must feel like to be faced with the loss of yet another husband. I can’t imagine that this is something that we get better at with

Last month we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a group of widows who were interested in dating again. A panel of gracious widows of different ages, life and family situations shared their experiences about the dating scene. One of the topics discussed was directly related to money and relationships. “Who should pay?” According to the 2011

Most of us have the greatest intentions in terms of making sure our children are provided for if we should pass away. Obtaining life insurance is one way to do this. However, giving your children of the gift of life insurance isn’t enough. You also need to make sure your beneficiary designations are set up

Valentine’s Day was never a romantic holiday in my marriage. My husband, who regularly showered me with outward gestures of love like nice dinners and flowers, always felt pressured into giving gifts on what he called the “Hallmark Holiday”. He usually presented me with the last bouquet of flowers still remaining at the local Tom